1. Technical Field
The invention concerns a device for sealing a heat-shrunk sleeve and, more particularly, for sealing the end of a heat-shrunk sleeve surrounding a branch connection of electrical or optical cables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A 1968 pamphlet by the Raychem Company entitled "Thermofit Tubing Splice Encapsulation Directions" introduces a technique, whereby two cables are inserted into one end of a heat-shrinkable sleeve. The inside surface of the heat-shrinkable sleeve is coated with hot-melt adhesive. While the sleeve is hot, the area of the sleeve between the two cables is held together with a pliers-type tool. The hot-melt adhesive liquefies during shrinking, and is pressed into the empty spaces by the shrinking sleeve. Excess hot-melt adhesive emerges from the end of the sleeve. The tool can be removed after the branch arrangement cools. The cooled hot-melt adhesive keeps the opposing areas between the cables together and seals the inlet area. The shape of the pliers-type tool is disclosed as needle-nosed.
Instead of the pliers-type tool, it is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,415 to insert a clamp from the end of the sleeve to the inlet area of the sleeve between the cables. A clamp with three legs is used in a preferred configuration, where one of the legs is placed inside the sleeve and the other two are located outside of the sleeve. The leg on the inside of the sleeve is coated with hot-melt adhesive. During heat-shrinking, the heat is transferred by the metal clamp to the inside of the sleeve, where it liquefies the hot-melt adhesive. This the metal clamp to the inside of the sleeve, where it liquefies the hot-melt adhesive. This technique has been used in the production of communications cable sleeves. Installing this known clamp becomes especially difficult when the end of the sleeve is not readily accessible. Furthermore, the installer needs both hands, because the clamp installation requires squeezing the inlet area together. Certain precautions must be taken to prevent the clamp from coming off during heat-shrinking of the sleeve, which increases the manufacturing costs of the clamp. Thus, it is known to provide the clamp with a saw tooth profile and to manufacture the clamp from a heat-releasing metal alloy.